INDIANAPOLIS – A Tuesday evening U.S. Senate debate was attended by two of the three Indiana candidates covering inflation, health care, foreign affairs, and more. Republican frontrunner Jim Banks was notably absent.
Democrat Dr. Valerie McCray and Libertarian Andrew Horning responded to nearly two dozen questions during the one-hour forum, hosted by the Indiana Debate Commission.
The debate commission said the two agreed to debate options in early July. Rep. Banks declined to join, however.
Debate rules barred McCray and Horning from directly addressing Banks in any way that would not allow him an opportunity to rebut. But they both talked about him after the debate during a short media availability.
“Right now, women’s issues are on the ballot, and the fact that he did not show up to defend his policies on women’s health — and he didn’t show up to defend his policies on Project 2025 — I think that was an insult to the American people, and disrespectful to the Hoosier voters, and I have a problem with that,” McCray said following the debate.
Horning shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing that “if you don’t show up for the job interview, you shouldn’t get the job.” He said Banks’ delayed decision not to participate in the debate was “an arrogant, jerky thing.’ Horning continued, “It shows a degree of disrespect for voters that he assumes that he’s got this all in the bag.”
Since securing the nomination in May, the GOP congressman has largely gone quiet aside from his usual social media posts.
Read the rest of the Casey Smith story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
